Running and running and running

Well, just about a week left in the madness of running! I have successfully run at least 20 minutes every day this year to this point, and I am looking forward to taking January 1 off! Also, I am looking forward to drinking a big freakin' Mountain Dew as soon as midnight strikes and 2009 begins, claiming no pop in 2008! As I was running today in the 9 to 10 degree weather in the massive town of North English, Iowa I came to realize that my mustache froze over. When I got home it was still stiff, but by the time my mom took the photo, it was just water again. I love running, but I'm ready to not "have to" run anymore!

Home

I'm back in Iowa! I forgot how cold it is up here, well I didn't forget, but it's freakin' cold! I went out running today and it was in the single digits, which was rather warm compared to yesterday's high of -5! While I was running my mustache decided to freeze over. Quite fun, but it wasn't too terrible! I'm glad to be back in Iowa for a few weeks, as I will be back in Dallas on the 6th of January. Good time to reflect on things, and set some goals for the new year. Glad to be able to relax from Masters for a little while!

Live Rich For Less

I'm currently reading this book, haven't read the whole thing yet, but it's pretty good so far. Here is the review for it, not my review, but one off of the net.

You really can be rich in every way, every day.

So you want to own the home you love, make memories on wonderful vacations with family or friends, finance college educations, and help others too?

You can—starting here and now.

With lively humor, proven know-how, and practical principles for financial health, Living Rich for Less helps you stretch your dollars to realize the lifestyle of your dreams. Ellie Kay’s entertaining and enlightening examples show you simple steps to save, spend, and give smart, and her three main principles are undergirded by dozens of effective rules and hundreds of Cha-Ching Factor™ tips that keep or put money in your pocket.

Ellie knows what it’s like to be financially-strapped or struggling, wanting to be the Joneses but feeling as poor in spirit as in pocketbook. She went, within two and a half years, from being a new wife and mom with $40,000 in consumer debt and seven children (and college educations) to support, to being completely debt-free and within fifteen years able to pay cash for eleven different cars, give away three of those cars, buy two five-bedroom houses (moving from one to the other) and nicely furnish each, take wonderful vacations, dress her family in fine fashion; and support more than thirty non-profit organizations in more than a dozen different countries, giving away more than $100,000.

Isn’t that the kind of transformation to a rich life that you want?

Living Rich for Less helps anyone get there in our taxed-out, maxed-out times. Because financial security doesn’t mean just genuine prosperity, but being able to live luxuriously, give generously, and care for yourself as well as the others around you.

If you want to purchase it you can buy it at:

Amazon

ChristianBook.com

Family Christian

Chasing Daylight

I just read this book Chasing Daylight which is written by Erwin McManus. McManus is an amazing man of God. I want to work with him someday in some sort of arena. This book is awesome! It talks about seizing the power of every moment of our life, as stated on the cover. It talks about "The Jonathan Factor" which is a character trait in which entails many things to live a fuller life and take better advantage of divine opportunites in our lives. The Jonathan Factor is taken from the story in 1 Samuel 14 when Jonathan takes his armorbear and attacks the Philistines. Amazing story of faith and obedience to God. I loved this book and recommend it to anyone who is seeking a more Extreme life for Christ, and just a more exciting life in general!

Piecin' it together

As I'm on this walk to find out who I really am, I am beginning to piece things together. Sometime last week I really found a revelation about who I am. Here is one of my journal entries from that day:
This morning I realized a big part of me is someone who never backs down from challenges. I knew this, but didn't realize until this morning how long that this has been a part of me. Here is a few challenges I've gone after in my life:

• Elementary: Went whole year taking my lunch and not eating at school
• Elementary: Challenged my brother Seth to a game of one-on-one basketball on a hoop on the back of a door in the basement, declaring the loser had to drink from the toilet. I lost.
• Junior High: Proved it was possible to have silver hair and be white.
• JHigh: Challenged myself to no sex until marriage- still going- note this is before I came to really know Christ.
• High School: Set goal to get Academic All-State as a freshman in high school and achieved it as a senior.
• College/2008: Running 20 minutes every day, (almost achieved)
• MC: A few for myself which need to be kept quiet

This is my life and who I am. I need to embrace this trait a little bit more and step up to the challenges posed to me and take advantage of them!

The Day That Started Normal

Today will never be forgotten. It was ridiculous! I woke up this morning, didn't run, because I knew I'd have time this evening to do it, so I took the extra sleep. At 7:37am I posted on my Twitter I love my coffee in the morning! Excited for the unknown day ahead! Keyword here is unknown! Unknown is such an understatment. I pulled out of my parking space at 7:51 on my Jeep clock, I was pulling out a little late, but new I'd still make it on time to 8 am prayer at the MC building. I pulled out onto the street to leave our apartment complex, when the traffic was way backed up, I saw a couple guys walk up to their cars which were parked in front of me and get in them to leave. At this point I knew there had been a wreck. I knew that God wanted me to get out and go see if there was anything I could do. I got out walked over to the car and saw it was two of my friends who were in the car wreck. I stayed there for a while and just waited for them to make sure if there was anything I could do or just to see what was gonna' happen to them. Thankfully they are both fine, but they were in the car for a while and it seemed to take forever before the ambulances and firetrucks got there.

After this I went to prayer at 8:45, listened to sermons, found out about our talent show we had tonight which was a lot of fun, then I went to lunch got back for drama and was at drama for about an hour before the next surprise came.

At about 3 pm one of the guys got me and said hey I need you and a couple others to go do some stuff. I didn't know what we were doing, but the five of us went to Shane and Angel's house to move some boxes for them. They are moving in the next few days and the hot water heater in their current home started shooting water all over the garage where they had a bunch of boxes. We took the boxes and moved them to their storage. Shane and Angel are awesome they bought us an amazing dinner! I am very thankful for that!

While we were finishing up moving the stuff into storage for them we met Pennie. Pennie came over to us and asked us if we could help her pull out the ramp on here U-Haul. CJ and Tyler went over and helped her. I then went over to see what was up. We saw what Pennie was trying to do and she was trying to move a bunch of stuff by herself. Now mind you Pennie is about 45 years old, not a big woman by anymeans and definitely not able to handle all that she had. We then made her allow us to help her and then went on to take all of her stuff to her house and helped her move it in. Through the conversations we had with Pennie we found out a lot about her, about her Ex-Husband, her children, and life in general. It was an awesome feeling to be a blessing to her tonight. She needed it, and I'm glad God put us in place and used us to help her out! On a funny note, while we were helping Pennie I went and used her bathroom. As I was buckling up my pants my belt buckle fell off into the toilet. I had to roll back the sleeves and reach in to the water after it! What a joy!

Tonight was a lot of fun. When we got done we went straight to the building to be a part of our talent show. It was a total joke. In that I mean it was hilarious. My team was assigned to do a uman video to the song Sadie Hawkins Dance by Relient K, and in the video we had to include some sort of dance. So much fun!

As I was driving back home tonight I got a text from a friend here at Masters saying to keep her family in my prayers as her house burned down. Thankfully they are all safe, but what a scare.

So much happened today. I can't believe I made it through. I thank God for this day and all the blessings poured out in it! I hope tomorrow is a little bit more "normal"! I love it when we allow God to interrupt our day and take us places we never could have guessed!


Oh Yes I must give a shout out in this post to my awesome friend Leah!

Sinless

So as I gave my sermon this morning and listened to Ben McLennan, our MC USA director, speak before we started something came to me. Once we come to know Christ and follow after God it is possibly to not mess up and live Sinless. If we can go a moment sinless, can't we go another? If we live moment by moment and not worry so much about what's coming, but where we're at, then we can accomplish this. In Genesis 4:6-7 The Bible Says: 6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."
We CAN master it! Go after it! Follow hard after God to get closer to him, and this will force the sins out. As in the Love chapter it says "when perfection comes the imperfect disappears". We can achieve this! God said it from the beginning! Thank God we can get closer to him and get rid of the sin in our lives! I challenge you to try and live by the moment and live the sinless life!

Sermon Time

My first sermon here at Masters is set for tomorrow! I'm planning on talking about Sin. Not necessarily a fun topic to talk about, but I like to talk about things that a lot of people won't. Here is the outline for my sermon. A lot of stuff may not seem clear as it is my speaking outline, but if you're curious about something on it just email me or post a comment. I'm excited to deliver it! The Title is Sin: What the Heck is that? My primary objective is to take sin, and help change our motives for not sinning, and of course to bring a little conviction to what sins people are committing! Here's my outline, take it, crucify it, tell me what ya think!

Sin: What the heck is it that?

Intro:

o Sin is something we often do, it is a word we hear and think about things we are told not to do. We think about punishments, rules, and regulations.

o We think of the things God is “holding” back from us

o but really the reason we aren’t supposed to Sin isn’t that God doesn’t want us to do these things or that they aren’t enjoyable, because it will hurt our very relationship with God in the same way as if we sin against our friends.

o Three points:

§ What sin is:

§ Forgiveness:

§ Sins Holding us back:

1. Definition and a few scriptures.

· Sin Definition: estrangement from god

· Estrangement Definition: to turn away in feeling or affection; make unfriendly or hostile; alienate the affections of:

o Their quarrel estranged the two friends.

o Breaks them apart!

· First appearance: Genesis 4:6-7 (New International Version)

o 6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

o Something that can be mastered

· After the 10 Commandments: Exodus 20:18-20 (New International Version)

o 18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die." 20 Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."

· All are equal: James 2:10 (New International Version)

o 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

2. Forgiveness: new covenant

· 1 John 3:4-6 (New International Version)

o 4Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

· Acts 10:43 (NIV) “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

3. Sins holding you back?

• Romans 13:1

o “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”

1. Speeding- breaking the laws of the land

2. Is marijuana bad? – laws of land and abusing the body

3. Stealing music- law of land and stealing (exodus 20:15)

4. Sins of Ommission: James 4:17 “anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”

• Proverbs 16:2- “All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord”

o I can justify anything to anyone, or especially to myself, but does that make it not a sin?

· Rock in shoe build up a callus. If we continue to sin it will build up a callus on our spirit and we won’t feel the conviction of our spirit telling us not to do things. It will build up that skin and separate us from the feeling. As it builds up it causes more movement of our foot from the shoe and leads to us losing all feeling.

Closing:

o Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

o We all do it! God sent Jesus and the Holy Spirit to get closer to us.

o Step into God and follow the life of Christ closer and the sins will fall away, as we really seek who Jesus is.

o What is holding you back, from having a more intimate relationship with God?

o I ask you what do you need to set a side to build up that relationship?

o Do not look at it as what am I really enjoying that I have to quit ‘cuz the bible, God, or adam is saying to give up, look at it as what is holding you from getting closer to him.

o What small thing am I doing unconsciously that could hinder me from getting closer to Him?

o Prayer to bring forward the sins we don’t see, and the sins we know about and don’t put down.